roo made a peculiar noise
with his tongue, which we knew meant that he had discovered something
worthy of special attention, so we came to an abrupt pause and looked at
him.

"What is it, Mak?" inquired Jack.

The guide put his finger on his mouth to impose silence, and stood in a
listening attitude with his eyes cast upon the ground, his nostrils
distended, and every muscle of his dusky frame rigid, as if he were a
statue of black marble. We also listened attentively, and presently
heard a sound as of the breaking of twigs and branches.

"Dat am be gorilla," said the guide, in a low whisper.

We exchanged looks of eager satisfaction.

"How shall we proceed, Mak?" inquired Jack.

"We mus' go bery slow, dis way," said the guide, imitating the process
of walking with extreme caution. "No break leetle stick. If you break
leetle stick hims go right away."

Promising Mak that we would attend to his injunctions most carefully, we
desired him to lead the way, and in a few minutes after came so near to
where the sound of breaking sticks was going on that we all halted,
fearing that we should scare the animal away before we could get a sight
of it amongst the dense underwood.

"What can he be doing?" said I to the guide, as we stood looking at each
other for a few seconds uncertain how to act.

"Him's breakin' down branches for git at him's feed, s'pose."

"Do you see that?" whispered Peterkin, as he pointed to an open space
among the bushes. "Isn't that a bit o' the hairy brute?"

"It looks like it," replied Jack eagerly.

"Cluck!" ejaculated Makarooroo, making a peculiar noise with his tongue.
"Dat him. Blaze away!"

"But it may not be a mortal part," objected Peterkin. "He might escape
if only wounded."

"Nebber fear. Hims come at us if hims be wound. Only we mus' be ready
for him."

"All ready," said Jack, cocking both barrels of his rifle.--"Now,
Peterkin, a good aim. If he comes here he shall get a quietus."

All this was said in the lowest possible whispers. Peterkin took a
steady aim at the part of the creature that was visible, and fired.

I have gone through many wild adventures since then. I have heard the
roar of the lion and the tiger in all circumstances, and the laugh of
the hyena, besides many other hideous sounds, but I never in all my life
listened to anything that in any degree approached in thundering
ferocity the appalling roar that burst upon our ears immediately after
that